The Folk Costume of the Skopje Valley (Skopska Kotlina)

There are four different costumes in the Skopje Valley (Skopska Kotlina). Two of them have significant differences – the costume of Skopska Crna Gora and Skopska Blatia, whereas the costumes of the village Kuchkovo and Pusta Breznitsa resemble the previous two but differ only in some cloting items, ornaments and details.

Skopska Crna Gora makes up 11 villages near Skopje. The Folk Costumeof this region is specific in its decoration and contrasting black and white effects.

The female costume, not a typical Macedonian tunic-like shirt, has opulent embroidery on the sleeves, the breasts and the sides. The embroidery is made of a woolen thread in black ornaments based upon the ancient tradition. The clothing items of white klashna – z'ban for young women have many black fringes and braids on the winter clothing item jube. The woven sash or black kanitsa, the apron utayka with discrete rectlilinear patterns, the knitted and patterened woolen socks, opantsi s's oputitse (footwear) and the jewelry complete the costume.

A very specific characteristic of this region is the act of covering of the head with long homemade fabrics, the piece of cloth predbradnik and prekrivach which is different for young women and for married women.

The brides wore a round bridal hat, flowers, and lots of jewelry (tepeltsi, pins, earrings, necklaces, chaprazi on the sash).

The male costume consists of a shirt made of a homemade cotton fabric, long loose and very ruffled at the end. The pants, the red sash, the short sleeveless clothing item jamadanche and the longer jube made of a white klashna are decorated with black braids, knitted woolen socks and opantsi s's oputitse (footwear) make up the costume of Skopska Crna Gora.

Contrary to the tranquil black and white combinations of the costume of Skopska Crna Gora the female costume of Skopska Blatia, a flat agricultural region near Skopje, is extremely polychromatic in its embroidery and ornamental motifs.

The embroidered geometrical and stylistic vegetal motifs on the white tunic-like shirt made of numerous multicolored threads and glitter décor fit into the stylitic unity of the other parts of the costume, the saya and kurdia, the woolen apron and the sash kemerche.

The costume for religious observance as well as the bridal costume is complemented with decorative accessories – the suppemental sleeves rakavchinya, the pieces of cloth, the kotsel - woolen thread added to the braid, the potkotselnik, and the jewelry made of beads and metal – the pin titrayka, ogrlye, ledenik, pafti, necklaces. The men of this region wear a shirt and pants in the summer, as in Skopska Crna Gora, with a sash on the waist. What is characteristic for the shirt called ayta worn at religious observance is its looseness and many ruffs on the lower end. A special detail on the clothing of the bridegroom and young men is the ruffed pants toska, fustan, which associates to the Albanian tribe Toski in its design and the old Albanian cultural heritage. The feet were covered with woolen socks supported by small straps dizgii just below the knee.

In the winter a vest, a dolama and chakshiri made of a dark klashna, and in some villages loose tumani or litarki. Another winter clothing item is the kozhuv - a vest made of natural sheep leather with short sleeves made of dark klashna.

The village Kuchkovo which is documented as the only village of the old Skopski Derven, has a different costume whch is characterized as a transitional costume between the one of Skopska Blatia and Skopska Crna Gora.

A distinct clothing item of this village is the white sayche with many embroidered ornaments made of thick black woolen threads along the back and the breast. The apron skutina bovcha is made of red wool patterened with petite geometrical motifs.

The head is covered with a white cotton or silk fabric supported by a lace decorated with beads. The feet are covered with woolen, knitted patterned socks and opintsi (footwear).

The male costume from the village Kuchkovo resembles the costumes of Skopska Crna Gora and Skopska Blatia, but differs in the ornamentation of the clothing items – the white jube, the dark brown gunya and the white vest with black and red embroidery.

The male costume of the mountain village Pusta Breznitsa is entirely made of white klashna clothing items with black braids – jebadan, mintan, bechvi, knitted socks patterened with many geometrical motifs, a hat made of sheepskin leaving quite an impressive compilation of clothing items for mountian and stock breeders.

The female costume of the mountain village Pusta Breznitsa resembles the costume of Skopska Blatia but has different embroidered motifs and a different design of the upper clothing items.

The group Torbeshia can also be found in the Skopje Valley (Skopska Kotlina) where there are converted Macedonian Muslims with all the Maceodnian speech features who with the conversion of their religious beliefs also chaged their lifestyles and up to a point their costume. The Shiptars of the villages between Polog and Skopska Blatia wear a similar costume to the Torbesh.

The female costume is made up of a shirt made of a thin white cotton fabric – kenarlia, decorated with varicolored embroidery, l'skavtsi (shining ornaments) and beads. A vest made of a ready made fabric is put over the shirt and a woolen sash around the waist and an apron skutina-bovcha. The costume is comletmente with decorative pieces of cloth. A distinguishing detail of the costume is the sheet - a thin cotton fabric, decorated with embroidered motifs and is used to cover the head.

Narodni nosii od Skopska Kotlina

Vo predelot Skopska Kotlina se sre}avaat ~etiri razli~ni nosii, od koi dve bitno se razlikuvaat edna od druga - nosijata od Skopska Crna Gora i nosijata od Skopska Blatija, dodeka nosiite od s. Ku~kovo i s. Pusta Breznica se varijanti od ovie dve, so razliki vo oddelni obleki, ukrasi i detali.

Skopska Crna Gora ja so~inuvaat 11 planinski sela vo okolinata na Skopje, vo koi narodnata nosija se izdvojuva so specifi~niot na~in na ukrasuvawe na oblekite i so izraziti crno - beli kontrasti.

Na ko{ulata od `enskata nosija, koja vo glavnite krojni elementi ne otstapuva od op{topoznatiot oblik na makedonskite ko{uli - tunikovidni, e zastapen bogat vez po celata dol`ina na rakavite, na gradite i dolu po skutovite, izveden so volneni konci vo crna impozantna reljefna ornamentika, sozdavana vrz baza na starite anti~ki tradicii. Oblekite od bela kla{na - z'ban za devojki i dolama za ma`eni `eni, izobiluvaat so ukrasi od crni reski ili crni gajtani na zimskata obleka xube. Tkaeniot alov pojas ili crna kanica, skutinata utajka so diskretni pravi {arki, pletenite volneni {areni ~orapi, opanci s's oputice i bogatiot nakit, ja oformuvaat celokupnata kompozicija na nosijata.

Zabraduvaweto na glavata so dolgi, doma{no tkaeni, krpi prebradnik i prekriva~, poinakvo za devojki od toa na oma`enite `eni, e posebna karakteristika na nosijata vo ovoj region.

Nevestite nosele na glava nevestinska kapa so kru`na forma, cve}e i mnogu nakit (tepelaci, igla glavi~ata, u{nici so trepki, potoa gerdani na gradite, ~aprazi na pojasot).

Ma{kata nosija, glavno platnena i kla{nena, se sostoi od ko{ula od belo doma{no pamu~no platno, dolga, {iroka i mnogu nabrana vo dolniot del. Platnenite ga}i, aloviot tkaen pojas, kusata bezrakavna kla{nena obleka xamadan~e i podolgoto xube od bela kla{na so dekorativni ukrasi od crni gajtani, pletenite volneni ~orapi i opanci s's oputice ja oformuvaat nosijata vo predelot Skopska Crna Gora.

Sprotivno od smirenite crno - beli kombinacii na nosijata od Skopska Crna Gora, `enskata nosija od Skopska Blatija, ramni~arski zemjodelski predel vo neposredna blizina na Skopje, se odlikuva so izrazita polihromnost, kako vo izvezenite taka i vo vtkaenite ornamentalni motivi.

Vezenite ukrasi so geometriski i stilizirani vegetabilni motivi na belata tunikovidna ko{ula, izvedeni so raznobojni volneni konci i izobilstvo od srma, se vklopuvaat vo stilskoto edinstvo so drugite delovi od nosijata, platnenata saja i kla{nenata kurdija, tkaenata volnena skutina vuta i pojasot kemer~e ja oformuvaat nosijata so isti koloristi~ki efekti.

Prazni~nite nosii, kako i nevestinskata se dopolneti so pove}e dekorativni detali - rakav~iwa, krpi, kocel, potkocelnik, kako i bogat i raznoviden monistren i metalen nakit - igla titrajka, ogrqe, ledenik, pafti, gerdani.

Ma`ite od ovoj predel lete nosat platneni ko{ula i ga}i, kako vo Skopska Crna Gora, so {irok tkaen volnen pojas na polovinata. Karakteristi~na e prazni~nata ko{ula nare~ena ajta - {iroka i so mnogu nabori vo dolniot del, a specijalen detal na oblekata na mlado`encite i mladite ma`i e {iroko nabranoto dolni{te toska, fustan, koe po nazivot potsetuva na albanskoto pleme Toski, po krojot na toskiskata fustanela, a po poteklo se vrzuva so starobalkanskoto kulturno nasledstvo. Na nozete se obuvale {areni volneni ~orapi, koi pod kolenata se pridr`uvale so tesni tkaeni pojas~iwa dizgii.

Zime se oblekuva elek od {areno, dolama i ~ak{iri od temna kla{na, a vo nekoi sela i {iroki tumani ili litarki. Gorna zimska obleka e ko`uv od ov~a ko`a ili guwa so kusi rakavi od temna kla{na.

Seloto Ku~kovo, za koe vo stru~nata literatura e zabele`ano deka e edinstvenoto selo od stariot Skopski Derven, ima poinakva nosija, koja ja odbele`uvame kako preodna me|u Skopska Blatija i Skopska Crna Gora.

@enite vo ova selo nosat ko{ula ukrasena so crn ili raznoboen vez, letna saja ili zimska }urdija, so poinakvi ukrasi od tie vo sosednite predeli. Karakteristi~na obleka vo ova selo e beloto platneno saj~e, so bogati vezeni dekoracii, od debeli crni volneni konci, po grbot i prednicite. Skutinata bov~a e od alova volna, pro{arana so positni vtkaeni geometriski motivi. Zabraduvaweto e so tkaena bela pamu~na ili svilena krpa, pridr`uvana od rem~e so monistrena dekoracija. Na nozete se nosat volneni, pleteni, {areni ~orape i opinci.

Ma{kata nosija od s. Ku~kovo vo nekoi obleki ima sli~nosti so nosiite vo Skopska Crna Gora i Skopska Blatija, no se razlikuva od niv po na~inot na ukrasuvaweto na oblekite - beloto xube, temno kafeavata guwa i beliot platnen elek, so izvezeni crni i crveni ukrasi.

Vo planinskoto selo Pusta Breznica ma{kata nosija e seta od beli kla{neni obleki so optoki od crni gajtani - xebadan, mintan, be~vi, potoa ~orabi - spleteni od raznobojna volna so geometriski motivi, i kapa od jagne{ka ko`a - deluva vpe~atlivo kako izrazito planinsko - sto~arska nosija.

@enskata nosija od selo Pusta Breznica e varijanta na nosijata vo Skopska Blatija, so poinakvi izvezeni i vtkaeni ornamentalni motivi i poinakvi formi na gornite obleki.

Vo ramkite na Skopskata Kotlina se nao|a i grupata Torbe{ija, vo koja `iveat pomuslimaneti Makedonci, so makedonski govorni odliki, koi so menuvaweto na verata go smenile i svojot na~in na `ivot, pa vo izvesna smisla i svojata nosija. Sli~na na torbe{kata nosija nosat i [iptarite od selata me|u Polog i Skopska Blatija.

@enskata nosija se sostoi od ko{ula od belo tenko platno - kenarlija, ukrasena so raznoboen vez, l'skavci i monistra, preku koja se oblekuva jelek od industriski materijal, alaxa postaven i polnet so pamuk, a se opa{uva so volnen tkaen pojas i skutina - bov~a. Nosijata e dopolneta so ukrasni krpi. Karakteristi~en detal od nosijata e bel ~ar{av - tenka pamu~na tkaenina, seta ukrasena so vtkaeni geometriski motivi, a slu`i kako nokrivka za zabuluvawe.